Getting into a Primary School now that waiting lists have been done away with

Evil_g

Hi. I'm sure this has been asked before, but I've searched and can't find anything.

We're just outside of the what I'll call the first catchment area for most of the good primary schools in our area (Dublin).

Our son has just turned one, and up until recently I believe we could have tried to get on the list early, and hope that we'd get in somewhere once kids in the catchment had been admitted.

But my understanding now is that this system is prohibited (with good reason I suppose) with the effect that we can now only apply in the September before he's dues to start.

So I suppose we should just forget about it until then (or look into moving...which is a possibility). But I can't shake the feeling that we should be doing something else.

I think we'll be the first or second year that won't have had the opportunity to join a list stupid years in advance.

Anyone else in the same boat?

I haven't contacted every school. Is there a chance that some are still running a list?

Does anyone have any idea what to expect when we apply in September 2025. Will they still be using date of receipt of application as a deciding factor further down the list?

JimmyVik

I dont know how over subscribed schools will handle that.

I hate when people moan because some people got off their holes and did something that the lazy people didnt. Like get their kids on a waiting list for a school early.
Said lazy moaners have now made sure that everybody has a sh1t time, instead of just themselves.

Reminds me of a guy I work with who wouldnt book his annual leave in advance and never got the days he was looking for just a week before he wanted to take them. He moaned to management that it wasnt fair that people booking 3 or 6 months in advance got the days he wanted. Now nobody is allowed to book their holidays during the year. We all have one day in the year where we submit all of our annual holidays for the year on a web page. So if you are up early you get the dates you want, if you even know what they are the year before.
If that tosser had just booked his holidays a couple of months in advance everyone would have been happy.

shesty

First off, ring all the schools you think you might like your child to go to, and see if they have lists.


Second off, you will apply in the January before your child starts Junior Infants, same as most other people. If you look at the enrolment policies you will see how each the school works. If there are enough places, your child will most likely get a place. If the schools are oversubscribed, they will whittle the numbers down by applying the criteria stated in their policy - address, sibling, child of staff, age, or similar in whatever order their policy sets out.


There is really nothing else you can do to be honest. Our local primaries do not have lists (also in Dublin), we just applied in the January same as everyone else for our first child, 2 years ago. My second child will be starting in September and her group was over-subscribed - they just went through all the names and the first group were those who were siblings got places, then from the remainder it went something like address in the catchment area, then staff child, then age. Not everybody accepts a place once it is offered for various reasons, so then the remaining people on the list are offered a place. It is not that complicated.

Millem

OP I think you wait for the annual admissions notice.
Each school sets their own date I think?
Our school is around November I think.

For secondary school we have been able to fill out a form, pay a fee (which I thought wasn’t allowed!!) and they will let us know when the admissions notice is.

shesty

Sounds mildly dodgy Millem :D

To my knowledge it is January, the week after they come back from the Christmas holidays - enrollment for new JI opens for 3 weeks then - but maybe schools differ? Check their websites and you should be able to see because it has only just finished being sorted out here for my child.

Edited to add, if your child is in ECCE, their playschool might send out a reminder text for the group that would be moving into Junior Infants, or you may hear the other parents talking about it around the time.

homer1982

We just found out about the new process today of enrolment. We had our first daughter enrolled in the local primary school in 2017 for 2022 and when I went to enroll our new daughter today I was told about this new process that only the October before the new school year would I be able to enroll her.

Does this mean I have to enroll my first daughter again?

In my local rural school they had recently a 'locals' rule with regard to enrolment, is this now gone?

shesty

Go to their website and check their enrollment policy re: the "locals" thing. Their policy should tell you what the criteria are and what order they will be applied in, in the event that the school is over-subscribed.


I would suggest you ring and enquire about your first daughter to check. You would still want to follow up on it anyway when enrollment opens for September 2022, most likely next January.

salmocab

I see people mentioning January a lot just to note our local schools in south Dublin took applications from October I think it was. We got messages from the school quite early saying if you are looking to get a place for a sibling get your forms in. I’d say by September have all your ducks in a row and ready to go and be sure you know the dates.

cornflake1

salmocab wrote: »

I see people mentioning January a lot just to note our local schools in south Dublin took applications from October I think it was. We got messages from the school quite early saying if you are looking to get a place for a sibling get your forms in. I’d say by September have all your ducks in a row and ready to go and be sure you know the dates.

Same here, three local schools to us in Cork city all had application dates in October 2020 for junior infants September 2021.

cornflake1

homer1982 wrote: »

We just found out about the new process today of enrolment. We had our first daughter enrolled in the local primary school in 2017 for 2022 and when I went to enroll our new daughter today I was told about this new process that only the October before the new school year would I be able to enroll her.

Does this mean I have to enroll my first daughter again?

In my local rural school they had recently a 'locals' rule with regard to enrolment, is this now gone?

I had my daughter's name down for two schools for September 2021 since 2017. One school wrote to us to reapply in October 2020. The other school said the original application in 2017 was still valid and we didn't have to apply again.

Millem

salmocab wrote: »

I see people mentioning January a lot just to note our local schools in south Dublin took applications from October I think it was. We got messages from the school quite early saying if you are looking to get a place for a sibling get your forms in. I’d say by September have all your ducks in a row and ready to go and be sure you know the dates.

Our local national school in South Dublin took applications from October-November for a period of 3 weeks.

shesty

Yes, I know it is January around us, but I am not sure if all schools are the same, so definitely check in the Sept the year before I reckon, to see what the date might be.